Philippians 4:4-5 4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5Let your gentleness be known to all people. The Lord is near.
Two key qualities believers should have are joy and gentleness. Both are the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in us (Galatians 5:22-23). Paul calls the Philippians to rejoice (chairete) in the form of a command. He repeats this command twice for emphasis. Joy is a key theme in this letter and repeated many times. Joy is a gift of God but also something in which we must participate. It is a choice we make to let the Holy Spirit connect us to the new life in Jesus, which is full of joy. Joy is more than an emotion but can influence our emotions. We can have joy even when we do not feel like it. Our joy does not need to depend upon outward circumstances.
The rejoicing is found in the Lord. Our joy comes from our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, not from outside situations. It is deep within us and part of who we are as believers. The Philippians may have been going through some difficult times, with growing opposition and outright persecution. Paul was sitting in prison with the strong possibility of an impending execution. The secret to finding joy in circumstances like this is to seek the presence of Jesus. To be “in” Christ means that we find our reason for existence is Christ and our power for life through him. This is essentially what Paul said back in 1:21: “to live is Christ.”
The second quality Paul urges the Philippians to have is gentleness (epieikes). This is a different word used in Galatians 5:23 (prautēs) but has a similar idea to it. It means to be courteous, kind, and tolerant towards others, being willing to forgo one’s rights so that relationships are preserved (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 3:2; James 3:17; 1 Peter 2:18). This word has a strong relational overtone. Being gentle helps in conflict management. With situations in Philippi, such as between Euodia and Syntyche in verse 2, this quality would help resolve problems and bring unity to the church. This personal quality can be seen by other people. There are two ways to respond to people: with the strict letter of the law or with graceful consideration of the situation and motivations. Jesus is a good example of how to respond to difficult people with grace and gentleness.
The addition of the last statement seems out of place: the Lord is near. However, this idea goes well with the call to rejoice and be gentle. This phrase could be understood in two ways: Is the Lord near us now through the Holy Spirit or is the Lord soon to return? The nearness of the Lord is both a motivation for how we act and also a resource of strength so that we can be joyful and gentle in all we do.
These two qualities are contagious and can begin to change any situation. They bring peace in our relationships. Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. It is the Lord through the Holy Spirit who helps us rejoice and be gentle in any and every kind of situation and relationship.
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